General comments about California native lilies: ------------- Unfortunately, wild lilies are the prize prey of every horned or antlered animal, picnic party, or logging trip that ventures near the habitats of these fine plants, all of which made lily hunting a problem in itself. p. 10 ------------- ----------------- To begin with, it is known that a plant that has as many asexual reproductive mechanisms as do the lilies, e.g., bulbs, scales, bulblets, bulbils, etc., does not need to reproduce by seed. p. 18 --------------- Apparently, Davis saw a number of lilies that produced large numbers of clones in some areas; he spends some time talking about that. Lilium parryi does not do this. But then he says: --------------- However true this may be ([advantage of cloning]), the fact remains that an abundance of seed is produced year after year by the California lilies. Further, bagging experiments indicate that this seed is the product of cross-pollination (inter-clonal) rather than of self-pollination or apomixis -- a conclusion that could be expected since self-fertilization is rare or absent in long lived perennials with rhizomes (Stebbins, 1950). p. 18 --------------- His comments on Lilium parryi: -------------- This yellow marsh or creek lily, often called the Lemon Lily, is pollinated by night flying hawkmoths (Celerio lineata) of the family Sphingidae and apparently by nothing else. This yellow marsh or creek lily, often called the Lemon Lily, is pollinated by night flying hawkmoths (Celerio lineata) of the family Sphingidae and apparently by nothing else. These moths are superbly efficient, extremely rapid, and highly erratic in their pollinating habits. They pollinate at late dusk and night, but apparently not in the dark early morning hours, perhaps because the heavy morning dew makes flying difficult. At any rate, they were never seen later than 4 A.M., but were seen at 12:30 A.M. They are extremely few in number and no two were seen at one time, but rather at half to one hour intervals. They pollinate L. parryi and L. parryi var. kessleri, both of which grow in similar habitats in the San Gabriel Mountains at elevations of from 6,000 to 10,000 feet. The only difference in the feeding habits of the hawkmoths when feeding on the two varieties is that it is more difficult for the moths to feed from var. kessleri than from the type as indicated by the numerous attempts to steal nectar from the side of the flower of the former. Variations in the size of the moths could account for this, however. These lilies are good examples of a typical hawkmoth moth flower because: (1) their flowers begin to open at 6 or 7 P.M. and are fully opened by 8:30 or 9 P.M.; (2) the anthers do not start to shed until after the flowers are fully opened; (3) the stigma is exserted beyond the anthers by 6 to 20 mm; (4) they are extremely fragrant at night; (5) they have bright clear yellow corollas with no nectar guide lines; and (6) their tubular corollas are so constructed as to discourage all pollinating agents other than the Lepidoptera. Several humming birds visited the var. kessleri and their feeding pattern was noticeably different from those feeding on L. parryi in that they would never feed on var. kessleri while on the wing, but would land on the peduncle and enter the corolla tube from the side, apparently well aware of the fact that they could not obtain nectar in their usual manner. Unlike the Fritillary Butterfly or the hummingbird, the hawkmoth prefers to use the uppermost perianth segments only, hence a single feeding thrust is all that is required to pick up and deposit pollen in the proper places. There is no wasted effort here as in the other pollinators mentioned. At one large stand of L. parryi var. kessleri there were four flower buds that were seen to open while under observation. Their stigmas were perfectly free of pollen and after a pollen covered bumble bee (Bombus sp.) vigorously landed on the stigma it was found that the stigmas were still perfectly free of pollen. This bee was captured and under the microscope it was noticed that its sticky abdomen did not readily release the adhering pollen, indicating the meager role this insect plays in the pollination of this lily. pp. 42-44. ---------------------------------- That's the end of the L. parryi section. from the Discussion section: ----------------------------- Another reason for the non-establishment of hybrids in the case of L. washingtonianum and L. parvum could be that the intermediate flower type between the (presumably) hawkmoth flower of L. washingtonianum and the (presumably) butterfly pollinated flower of L. parvum cannot be effectively pollinated by either hawkmoth or butterfly. Under these conditions the hybrid could only survive in nature if a pollinator intermediate in tongue length and feeding pattern were brought in from an outside area. ... This idea of the non-intermediate pollinator seems to be the case with the non production of hybrids between Lilium parryi and L. humboldtii. These two species will certainly cross in the garden as evidenced by the many beautiful plants obtained using these and L. pardalinum as parent stocks; the Bellingham Hybrids are fine examples. The two species grow in the same canyon along Doane Creek in the Palomar Mountains and bloom at the same time, but no evidence of hybridization could be found (Grant, unpublished data). Grant reports that Swallowtail Butterflies flew over the tops of L. parryi and paid no attention to the flowers, yet these butterflies are the most important pollinators of L. humboldtii. Hawkmoths, on the other hand, fly right over the tops of L. humboldtii. If a colony of Bellingham Hybrids could be planted alone Doane Creek and observed over the years for the presence of F2 variation and intermediate pollinators, it might solve this problem. pp. 50, 51. ------------------------------------ from the Summary section: The chief and perhaps sole pollinator of L. parryi is the hawkmoth, Celerio lineata, of the family Sphingidae. Other minor pollinators, such as several species of wild bees, hummingbirds, and beetles are responsible for much pollination, especially in swampy or other localized areas, but certainly none of these is responsible for the evolution of the floral type of any of the California species of Lilium. p. 52 ---------------------------------- I think the last paragraph primarily refers to other species of lily, not L. parryi.